Thickener



J. VAN'N. BURR.

TmcKENER.

APPLICATION. FILED OCT. 2, 149|?.

Patented. Oct. 26, 1920.

INVENTOR l//I/ORH.

J. VAN N. DORR.

THICKENER.

APPLICATION FILED ocr. 2. 1911.

Patented oct'. 26,1920., A 4 SHEETS-SHEET 2 INVENTOR IKA/001W?.

v ATTCRNH J. VAN N. DORYR.

kTHICKENER.'

APPLICATION FILED ocT.2,19|7.

Patented oet. 26,1920. I

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. INVENTOR J IZA/00H6.

J. VAN N. DORR.

' v THICKENER. A'PPLICATION FILED OCT. 2, 19H.

Ptllted 0013. 26, 1920;

. 4 SHEETS v INVENTOR JJ//ww?.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

JOHN VAN Nosmmi Donn., or NEW YORK, N. Y.

THIGKENER.

,thickeners Apparatus of this typeare usedprincipally inthewet'treatment of metal'liferous ores to: separate by a dewateringprocess, slimes andv other solids from theliquid in which they arecontained, and comprise in their simplest form as shown and described inmy United States Patent Number 867,958, a tank having a iator -siightlysloping bottom provided with a central discharge opening, a rotaryelement moving the material settling upon the'bottom of the tankconitinuously and slowly towardthe dischargeopening, and a peripheraloveriow across,

which the liquid rising out of the solids, decants into a surroundinglaunder.

Therotary element above referred to, lconsists of a series ofscraper-blades on -arms radiating from averticalshaft which is suspendedin the subsidence tank from a superposed bearing and which connects witha driving mechanism through the medium of a worm and worm-gear 'or othersuitable transmission.-

These A.means for 'moving the series of Scrapers across the thickenedmatter col- -lected upon vthe bottom of the settling tank .while fullyeiicient if used in connection with tanks of ordinary size, have beenfound to `,be inadequate ii\ t'anks of greater capacity, such as thoseVused at present-in large milling plants, which range from one hundredto two hundred feet -in diameter, and it is the object of the presentinvention to provide element, irrespective of the area of the surface uV Jonl which it moves: Wit this object in view, l,my invention,-consists primarily in the provision of a circular track for the supportof the outer end of a driving arm or sweep lwith-which the scraperelementis operatively connected.

The element is rotatably .supported on a pedestal erected upon asuitable foundation VAN Nos'TRAND Y a mechanism p aiticula'ly adapted'Ifor the-efcient operation of the -scraping f Specication of LettersPatent. Patented Oct 26 1920 9 o @Application filed October 2,

1917. Serial No. 194,361.

in the Acenter of the subsidence vessel to which the mechanism isapplied and it is capable of a limited self-adjustment to compensate forvariationsin the elevation and radius o f the track, dueto eizpansio'nand contraction, or other conditions.

The scraping element is rotated by a traction-wheel 'ridlng along thetrack, in'connectio'n with a motor which is carried upon a truck at theouter end of the arm and in case this motor is operated by electricity,I provide a simple contact device lthrough which the motor is during themovement of the arm, maintained in constant electrical connection with arelatively stationary source o f electricity.

Suitable means are provided to increase, if necessary, the rollingfriction between the wheel of the self-propelling truck and the vtrackon .which it runs, and' an automatic signaling device is connected withthe mov- 1ng part s to indicate by anaudible` or visible alarm, when byinsufficient traction or an overload, the movement of the scrapingelement is reduced beyond a predetermined degree. f 4

An embodiment of my invention has been shown in the accompanyingdrawings in the various views of which like parts are similarlydesignated, and in which Figure 1 is a fragmentary plan view of athickeiier vconstructed in accordance with the present invention,

Fig. 2, a fragmentary section taken along the line 2 2, Fig. 1,

Fig. 3, an enlarged vertical section of the upper portion of thel armsupport in the center of the settlingtank taken along the line 3-1-3,Fig. 2, i f i Fig. 4, a horizontal section along the line 4 4, Fig. s,

5, an enlarged Ielevation of the automatic signaling device by which areduction 1n the'speed of the lj self-,propelling motoris indicated, and

Fig. 6, a detail view' of the governor included in saiddevice.

A settling tank 2 consists of a cylindrical upright wall 3 preferablymade of concrete or Aother plastic material, and a bottom-surface 4:Aslightly sloping from said wall to a central annular depression or well5 which connects with aconduit 6 through which the thickened materialsettling upon the bottom,

surfaceof the tank is dischar ed.

.A circumferential launder formed at the imA upper edge of the tank,provides an overflow for the liquid rising out of the solids whichsettle upon the bottom, and a conduit 8 connecting with the launder,conveys this liquid to a conveniently disposed receptacle. A pedestal 9erected upon a foundation 10 extends in the vertical axis of the tankfor the support of a scraping element hereinafter to be described,`andin its preferred form consists of a shell 12 filled with con- Acrete andsurmounted by a hollow cap 13.

This cap has at 14 a spherical surface for the movable support of a,correspondimglysocketed bearing 15 from which the scraper element isrotatably suspended and it has above said surface a central extension-16for the connection of a truss 17 which supports the launder 18 throughwhich the feed is conducted to the center of the tank.

The cap which is open at the upper end of its central extension, isvprovided with open'- ings 19 for the drainage of water.

The 'ball and socket joint between the bearing `and cap upon which it issupported', permits of a limited gyratory movement of the bearing forthe self-adjustment of the scraper element and the mechanism by which itis operated.

The scraperjfelement consists of a hollow hub 20 having at its upper end4"an annular suspension head 21 by means 'of which it is rotatablysupported upon the bearing .15.

The latter has to this end 'an annularV groove 22 which contains abearing ring 23 of liber or other suitable material, and the head 21 hasa downwardlyproj ecting 'rim 24 which loosely fits within" the groovel"and bears upon the `fiber ring.

The hollow hub is rigidlyv secured atthe inner end of a trussed drivingarm or 'sweep 25 the bottom beams of which are provided with a se s of,obliquely arranged transverse bladse29 which in the operation of thethickener move the settled material toward thelcentral depression in thebottom ofthe tan r. i

The hub carries in addition to the sweep a number of radial arms 26 ofshorter length. which likewise are provided with series of obliquetransverse blades 27, and it carries furthermore a number of'scrapers 60which are curved in the direction of rotation and eX- tend between thehub and the series of scraperblades on the arms 26 and the sweeps 25.

The scraper blades on the arm and the sweep and the Scrapers 60 coperateto move the material settling to the bottom of the.

through a hopper 52.

ment provides for a more rapid removal of the settledmaterial at thecentral portion of the tank, than nearer the periphery of the same.

Scrapers 30 secured to the arms 26 prevent the solid matterl fromadhering to the surface vof the depression 5.

A circular rail 31 mounted upon the wall i of the tank, provides anendle' track for a wheeled truck 32 at the end of the driving arm of thescraping element.

The truck supports an electric motor 33 which throu h theinstrumentality of a suitable transmission 34 has a drivingconnection.with theimiddle one of. three wheels,

35, 36 and 37 by which the truck is supported upon the track.

The current for operating thefmotor isl suppliedfrom .a convenientlylocated source of electricity, through thev medium of a contact devicewithin an inclosure provided by a cylindrical shell 38 and a cover 39which are supported upon the head 21 of the hub and partially upon anoutwardly projectingv flange 40 cn the socketed bearing 15.

The contact device consists of three insulat'ed rings 41 which aresupported upon the ,bearing 15 and connect with the. leadsl 42` ofathree-phase circuit which are partially inclosed in .a tube 43 fastenedto a lugwon the bearing.

The head 21 ofthe hub carries threebrushes 44'which are-in continuousycontact with the rings 41 and which by means l0f The governor is bymeans of a geartrain 49 connected with oneof the end wheels, 37,` of thetruck and operates to bring the contacts of the' switch into conductiveengagement when the angular velocity of the wheel diminishes beyond apredetermined degree.

,The alarm circuit in which the switch is connected includes as shownin'Fig. 5, a

source of electricity 50 and anv electrically operating alarm 51.

To increase -the rolling friction between the driving wheel 36 of theself-propelling motor and the track upon which it runs, the truck may beweighted by any 4suitable means or sand may be applied to the Should themotive power at any time be insuiiicient to move. the 'scraping' elementfrom a position of rest, the truck may be started along `the track by arope wound upon a drum 53 connected with the motor,

track l and bent around one of a number of horns 54 rogecting from thewall of the tank.

lhe material to be treated in the thickener 1s fed into the tank at aoint adjacent its center, through the laun er 18 which as mentionedhereinbefore, is supported by a truss 17 extending between the pedestal9 and a support erected outside the tank.

The truss 1s at its inner end connected with the pedestal by two channelbars 55 whlch extend in a circumferential recess of the centralextension 16 of its capas clearly shown 1n Fig. 3 of the drawings.

The launder-truss slants from the center of the tank upwardly to permitof the passage of the truck on the sweepv beneath it and it has abovethe launder. a iooring 56 to provide a bridge along which the operatorma plass to inspect the interior of the tank an t e mechanism by whichthe scraping element is operated.

' The material discharged through the end of the feed launder falls upona distributing plate 57 within a chamber 58 which compels it to enterthe contents of the tank below its liquid level.

Having thus described the construction of m improved thickener, I desireit under-l stoo that many variations in the construction and arrangementof its parts, may be resorted to without in any way departlng from thespirit of the invention as defined in the following claims:

1. In thickening apparatus the combination with a settling tank havingmeans for the discharge of thickened matter -and a rotary element formoving` matter settling in the tank, to ei'ect its discharge by saidmeans of atrack, a sweep connected with said element, a wheel upon thetrack, in connection with the sweep, and mechanism for the rotation ofsaid wheel.

2. In thickening apparatus the combination with a settling tank havingmeans for the discharge of thickened matter and a rotary element formoving matter settling 1n the tank, to eii'ect its discharge by saidmeans, of a track, a sweep connected with said element, a wheel upon thetrack, in connection with the sweep, and a motor carried by the sweep indriving connection w1th said wheel.

3. In thickening apparatus the combination with a settling tank havingmeans for the discharge of thickened matter and a rotary element formoving matter settling in the tank, to effect its discharge vby saidmeans, of a track, a sweep connected with said element, and aself-propelling wheeled truck on said track, in connection with thesweep.

4. In thickening apparatus the combinatlon with a settling tank havingmeans for the discharge of thickened matter and a r0' tary element formoving matter settling in the tank, to effect its discharge by saidmeans, of means for the operation of said element, comprising a track, asweep connected with said element, a wheel upon the track, 1n connectionwith the sweep, an electric motor carried by the sweep, in drivlngconnection with said wheel, an electric circuit, and a contact deviceconnecting said motor continuously in said circuit.

5.` A thickening apparatus comprising a settling tank having means forthe discharge of thickened matter, an element for moving matter settlingin the tank, to effect its-dis.- charge by said means, mounted forrotation about a fixed axis and for lateral self-adjustment withrelation thereto, a track, a sweep connected' with said element andmovably supported on said track, and means for moving said sweep alongthe track.

6. A thickening apparatus comprising a settling tank having means forthe discharge of thickened matter, a pedestal, a self-adjusting bearingthereon, a hub rotatably supported on said bearing, means on said hublfor moving matter settling in the tank, to effect its discharge by saidmeans, and means to effect the rotation of the hub.

7. In thickening apparatus, the combina-J tion with a settling tankhaving means for the discharge of thickened matter, and a rotary elementfor moving settled matter to said means, `of a sweep supporting theelement outside its axis of rotation, a motor driving the sweep for therotation of the element, an alarm, and a governor controlled by themotor and connected with the alarm to cause it to indicate a variationin the movement of the motor by a resistance to the movement of theelement beyond a prel determined degree. l

8. The combination of a setthng tank having means for the discharge ofthickened matter from a central region of its bottom surface, a rotaryelement having radial scraper-arms for moving settled matter to saidregion, a sweep for the propulsion of said element, 'and scrapers on thesweep, auxiliary to the scraper-arms, and extending

